Hybrid expansion cone

ABSTRACT

An expansion cone comprising a cone body having a first expansion surface with a diameter that increases from a leading edge to a first expansion diameter. A resilient sleeve disposed on an actuation mandrel that is coupled to the cone body. Movement of the actuation mandrel relative to the cone body moves an outer surface of the resilient sleeve to a second expansion diameter that is greater than the first expansion diameter.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.61/680,487, titled Hybrid Expansion Cone, which was filed Aug. 7, 2012.This priority application is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety into the present application, to the extent that it is notinconsistent with the present application.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatus for expandinga tubular member in a wellbore. More specifically, this disclosurerelates to expanding a tubular member using an adjustable expansioncone.

Wellbore tubular members, such as casings or liners, can be expanded inthe wellbore using a variety of known processes. These processes oftenutilize expansion cones that are shaped to radially expand the tubularas the cone moved axially through the tubular. Many conventionalexpansion cones have a fixed outer diameter that is larger than theouter diameter of tubular member before expansion. The size of the fixeddiameter expansion cone necessitates that, before expansion begins, thecone is contained within an enlarged section of the tubular, known as alauncher, or disposed outside of the tubular being expanded.

The launcher, or the expansion cone itself, is thus the component of thetool string having the largest outer diameter and is therefore a majorfactor in determining the operating envelope of the system. For example,if an expandable tubular is needed at a location in the wellbore below arestriction, the size of the launcher or cone will limit the systemsthat can be used. Fixed diameter cones are also susceptible to gettingstuck in the unexpanded tubular should the expansion process fail or anunexpected restriction be encountered.

Adjustable expansion cones have been used to overcome some of thelimitations of fixed diameter cones by providing a mechanism for varyingthe outer diameter of the cone. Adjustable expansion cones generallyinclude a plurality of segments that are “assembled” downhole into acone capable of expanding a tubular member. Adjustable cones areavailable in a variety of styles and configurations but, likeconventional fixed diameter cones, suffer from certain performancelimitations and are generally more mechanically complex than fixeddiameter cones.

Thus, there is a continuing need in the art for methods and apparatusfor adjustable expansion cones that overcome these and other limitationsof the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An expansion cone comprising a cone body having a first expansionsurface with a diameter that increases from a leading edge to a firstexpansion diameter. A resilient sleeve disposed on an actuation mandrelthat is coupled to the cone body. Movement of the actuation mandrelrelative to the cone body moves an outer surface of the resilient sleeveto a second expansion diameter that is greater than the first expansiondiameter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more detailed description of the embodiments of the presentdisclosure, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a hybrid expansion cone in a retracted position.

FIG. 2 illustrates the hybrid expansion cone of FIG. 1 in an expandedposition.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative hybrid expansion cone in a retractedposition.

FIG. 4 illustrates the hybrid expansion cone of FIG. 3 in an expandedposition.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate the expansion of a tubular member using a hybridexpansion cone.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the following disclosure describes severalexemplary embodiments for implementing different features, structures,or functions of the invention. Exemplary embodiments of components,arrangements, and configurations are described below to simplify thepresent disclosure; however, these exemplary embodiments are providedmerely as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of theinvention. Additionally, the present disclosure may repeat referencenumerals and/or letters in the various exemplary embodiments and acrossthe Figures provided herein. This repetition is for the purpose ofsimplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationshipbetween the various exemplary embodiments and/or configurationsdiscussed in the various figures. Moreover, the formation of a firstfeature over or on a second feature in the description that follows mayinclude embodiments in which the first and second features are formed indirect contact, and may also include embodiments in which additionalfeatures may be formed interposing the first and second features, suchthat the first and second features may not be in direct contact.Finally, the exemplary embodiments presented below may be combined inany combination of ways, i.e., any element from one exemplary embodimentmay be used in any other exemplary embodiment, without departing fromthe scope of the disclosure.

Additionally, certain terms are used throughout the followingdescription and claims to refer to particular components. As one skilledin the art will appreciate, various entities may refer to the samecomponent by different names, and as such, the naming convention for theelements described herein is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention, unless otherwise specifically defined herein. Further, thenaming convention used herein is not intended to distinguish betweencomponents that differ in name but not function. Additionally, in thefollowing discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and“comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should beinterpreted to mean “including, but not limited to.” All numericalvalues in this disclosure may be exact or approximate values unlessotherwise specifically stated. Accordingly, various embodiments of thedisclosure may deviate from the numbers, values, and ranges disclosedherein without departing from the intended scope. Furthermore, as it isused in the claims or specification, the term “or” is intended toencompass both exclusive and inclusive cases, i.e., “A or B” is intendedto be synonymous with “at least one of A and B,” unless otherwiseexpressly specified herein.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a hybrid expansion cone 10 includes asolid cone body 12, a resilient sleeve 14, and an actuation mandrel 16.The solid cone body 12 includes an expansion surface 18 with a first end20 having a leading edge diameter and a second end 24 having a firstexpansion diameter. The expansion surface 18 has a diameter thatincreases from the leading edge diameter to the first expansion diameterin a linear or non-linear manner from the first end 20 to the second end24. The solid cone body 12 also includes a constant diameter portion 26that extends from the second end 24 of the expansion surface andterminates in a shoulder 28.

Actuation mandrel 16 includes a main body 30 having a first end 32 thatis slidably engaged with the solid cone body 12. An annular flange 34projects radially outward from a second end 36 of the main body 30. Theresilient sleeve 14 is disposed about the main body 30 of the actuationmandrel 16 between the annular flange 34 and the shoulder 28 of solidcone body 12 in a first position. The resilient sleeve 14 may beconstructed from any desirable resilient material including, but notlimited to, polyurethane, rubber, polymers, and other materials.

Referring now to FIG. 2, during expansion operations, the actuationmandrel 16 is moved axially relative to the solid cone body 12 so thatthe annular flange 34 moves closer to the shoulder 28. As the annularflange 34 moves closer to the shoulder 28, the resilient sleeve 14 isaxially compressed, which causes the outer surface of the resilientsleeve 14 to move radially outward to a second position where theresilient sleeve forms a second expansion surface.

The actuation mandrel 16 may be moved relative to the solid cone body 12by a variety of mechanisms. In certain embodiments, the actuationmandrel 16 may be coupled to a work string, or other component, that isoperable to apply tension to pull the actuation mandrel 16 relative tothe solid cone body 12. In other embodiments, hydraulic pressure appliedto the actuation mandrel 16 may generate the force needed to move theactuation mandrel 16 relative to the solid cone body 12. In eitherembodiment described above, the force used to move the actuation mandrel16 relative to the solid cone body 12 may also be used to move thehybrid expansion cone 10 through a tubular member.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an alternative hybrid expansion cone 40includes a solid cone body 42, a resilient sleeve 44, and an actuationmandrel 46 that directly radially expands the resilient sleeve 44. Thesolid cone body 42 includes a first expansion surface 18 defined by afirst end 20 and a second end 24. The first expansion surface 18 has adiameter that increases from a leading edge diameter at the first end 20to a first expansion diameter at the second end 24 in a linear ornon-linear fashion.

The resilient sleeve 44 may be coupled to the solid cone body 42 at alocation that is substantially adjacent to the second end 24 or may bespaced from the second end 24 by a constant diameter portion 26. Theresilient sleeve 44 may be constructed from any desirable resilientmaterial including, but not limited to, polyurethane, rubber, polymers,and other materials. Actuation mandrel 46 includes a main body 48 havinga substantially cylindrical portion 50 and an expansion portion 52. Inthe unexpanded first position shown in FIG. 3, the cylindrical portion50 of the actuation mandrel is disposed under the resilient sleeve 44.

Referring now to FIG. 4, during expansion operations, the actuationmandrel 46 is moved axially relative to the solid cone body 42 so thatthe expansion portion 52 of the actuation mandrel 46 moves under andradially expands the resilient sleeve 44 to a second position. Thisradially outward movement of the resilient sleeve 44 creates a secondexpansion surface 56.

The actuation mandrel 46 may be moved relative to the solid cone body 42by a variety of mechanisms. In certain embodiments, the actuationmandrel 46 may be coupled to a work string, or other component, that isoperable to apply tension to pull the actuation mandrel 16 relative tothe solid cone body 42. In other embodiments, hydraulic pressure appliedto the actuation mandrel 46 may generate the force needed to move theactuation mandrel 46 relative to the solid cone body 42. In eitherembodiment described above, the force used to move the actuation mandrel46 relative to the solid cone body 42 may also be used to move thehybrid expansion cone 40 through a tubular member.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate the expansion of a tubular member 60 using ahybrid expansion cone 10. Referring to FIG. 5A, a hybrid expansion cone10 is coupled to an expansion system (not shown) and run into a wellbore62 with a tubular member 60. The resilient sleeve 14 is retracted sothat the outside diameter of the hybrid expansion cone 10 issubstantially the same as, or slightly larger than, the unexpanded outerdiameter of the tubular member 60. This allows the hybrid expansion cone10 and the tubular member 60 to be run through a wellbore restriction,such as a string of installed casing 64.

Once the tubular member 60 is positioned at a desired location in thewellbore 62, the hybrid expansion cone 10 is actuated and the resilientsleeve 14 moved to an expanded position. The hybrid expansion cone 10 isthen moved axially through the tubular member 60. As the hybridexpansion cone 10 moves through the tubular member 60, the solid conebody 12 expands the tubular member 60 to a first expanded inner diameter66 and the resilient sleeve 14 expands the tubular member 60 to a secondexpanded inner diameter 68.

As shown in FIG. 5C, after the hybrid expansion cone 10 has fullyexpanded the entire length of the tubular member 60, the hybridexpansion cone 10 is returned to its retracted state with the resilientsleeve 14 refracted. Once the resilient sleeve 14 is retracted, thehybrid expansion cone 10 can pass freely through the installed casing64.

The tubular member 60 is illustrated as being used in an open-hole cladapplication but is it understood that the methods illustrated anddescribed herein are can also be used in other expandable applications.For example, a hybrid expansion cone could be used in a conventionalcasing expansion in its expanded state and the resilient sleeve only berefracted if the expansion cone should become stuck or need to otherwisepass through a restriction in the wellbore. A hybrid expansion conecould also be used in a pipe-in-pipe application where the resilientsleeve provides a slight over-expansion of the inner pipe to ensureclose contact with the base pipe.

In other applications, a hybrid expansion cone could be used in anapplication where the resilient sleeve was only actuated to over-expandlimited sections of the tubular, such as seal or anchor hanger sections,and the solid portion of the hybrid cone used for the substantial partof the expansion process. A hybrid expansion cone could also be used toexpand a tubular into a well containing a tapered string or other casingstrings where the inner diameter of the base casing may vary over thelength of the casing. A hybrid expansion cone could also be used tocreate a larger inner diameter of the expanded casing at the upper endfor use as a tie-back receptacle.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way ofexample in the drawings and description. It should be understood,however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are notintended to limit the disclosure to the particular form disclosed, buton the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications,equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. An expansion cone comprising: a cone body havinga first expansion surface with a diameter that increases from a leadingedge to a first expansion diameter; an actuation mandrel coupled to thecone body; and a resilient sleeve disposed on the actuation mandrel,wherein movement of the actuation mandrel relative to the cone bodymoves an outer surface of the resilient sleeve to a second expansiondiameter that is greater than the first expansion diameter.
 2. Theexpansion cone of claim 1, wherein the actuation mandrel furthercomprises: a main body having a first end that is slidably engaged withthe cone body; and an annular flange that projects radially outward froma second end of the main body, wherein the resilient sleeve is disposedabout the main body between the annular flange and the cone body.
 3. Theexpansion cone of claim 1, wherein the actuation mandrel furthercomprises a main body having a cylindrical portion and an expansionportion, wherein the expansion portion of the main body is disposedunder the resilient sleeve when the outer surface of the resilientsleeve is moved to the second expansion diameter.
 4. The expansion coneof claim 1, wherein the diameter of the first expansion surfaceincreases in a non-linear manner.
 5. The expansion cone of claim 1,wherein the diameter of the first expansion surface increases in alinear manner.
 6. The expansion cone of claim 1, wherein the actuationmandrel is moved by hydraulic force.
 7. The expansion cone of claim 1,wherein the actuation mandrel is moved by applying tension to theactuation mandrel.
 8. An expansion cone comprising: a first expansionsurface formed by a solid cone body, wherein the first expansion surfacehas as diameter that increases from a leading edge to a first expansiondiameter; and a second expansion surface formed by a resilient sleevethat is selectively moveable between a first position where theresilient sleeve has an outer diameter that is not greater than thefirst expansion diameter and a second position where the resilientsleeve has an outer diameter that is greater than the first expansiondiameter.
 9. The expansion cone of claim 8, further comprising anactuation mandrel having a main body with a first end that is slidablyengaged with the solid cone body; and an annular flange that projectsradially outward from a second end of the main body, wherein theresilient sleeve is disposed about the main body between the annularflange and the solid cone body.
 10. The expansion cone of claim 8,further comprising: an actuation mandrel disposed as least partiallywithin the solid cone body, the actuation mandrel having a main bodywith a cylindrical portion and an expansion portion, wherein in thesecond position, the expansion portion of the main body is disposedunder the resilient sleeve.
 11. The expansion cone of claim 8, whereinthe diameter of the first expansion surface increases in a non-linearmanner.
 12. The expansion cone of claim 8, wherein the diameter of thefirst expansion surface increases in a linear manner.
 13. The expansioncone of claim 8, wherein the resilient sleeve is moved from the firstposition to the second position by hydraulic force.
 14. The expansioncone of claim 8, wherein the resilient sleeve is moved from the firstposition to the second position by applying tension to the expansioncone.
 15. A method of expanding a tubular member comprising: expandingthe tubular member to a first expanded inner diameter by axiallytranslating a solid cone body having a first expansion surface throughthe tubular member, wherein the first expansion surface has as diameterthat increases from a leading edge to a first expansion diameter that isequal to the first expanded inner diameter; and expanding the tubularmember to a second expanded inner diameter by translating a resilientsleeve having a second expansion surface through the tubular member,wherein the second expansion surface is selectively moveable between afirst position where the second expansion surface is not greater thanthe first expansion diameter and a second position where the secondexpansion surface is greater than the first expansion diameter.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the second expansion surface is moved to thesecond position by translating an actuation mandrel relative to theresilient sleeve.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the actuationmandrel has a main body with a first end that is slidably engaged withthe solid cone body; and an annular flange that projects radiallyoutward from a second end of the main body, wherein the resilient sleeveis disposed about the main body between the annular flange and the solidcone body and is moved to the second position by moving the annularflange closer to the solid cone body.
 18. The method of claim 16,wherein the actuation mandrel is disposed as least partially within thesolid cone body and has a main body with a cylindrical portion and anexpansion portion, wherein the resilient sleeve is moved to the secondposition by disposing the expansion portion of the main body is disposedunder the resilient sleeve.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein theresilient sleeve is moved from the first position to the second positionby hydraulic force.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the resilientsleeve is moved from the first position to the second position byapplying tension to the expansion cone.